Inside Story

Has Boko Haram been defeated?

Questions remain after the president of Nigeria praised the army for forcing fighters from their forest stronghold.

The president of Nigeria promised to defeat Boko Haram before 2017.

With the new year just a few days away, Muhammadu Buhari says he has delivered.

Army commanders announced that fighters have been forced from all their strongholds. It isn’t the first time the government has claimed to defeat Boko Haram.

Fighters who are waging war against what they consider Western influence – and trying to impose their version of Islam – still control large parts of the rural northeast.

Boko Haram fighters who have fled Nigeria have reportedly regrouped in neighbouring countries.

What does that mean for Nigeria and its neighbours?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan

Guests:

Shehu Sani, Nigerian senator who has led negotiations with Boko Haram since 2011.

Martin Ewi, Senior Researcher, International Crime in Africa Programme, the Institute for Security Studies.

Makmid Kamara, Nigeria Country Director for Amnesty International.